I was there also . One of the best shows I saw in the post coma period . I always liked the Long Beach shows, better than the Irivne shows ( and I live much nearer to Irvine ) . A nice Scarlet>Fire, and a Morning Dew . Nice post drums section, no cringe songs !

Speaking of cringe songs and Irvine Meadows . . . I was at a show there in April, '84. If you were there, maybe you remember, Bob forgot the words to Playin' and stopped the band a couple of minutes in. Phil slapped his forehead and rolled his eyes, the drummers were laughing and Jerry, with major jaw drop, first shook his head in disbelief that bob would just halt the proceedings that way, then later when they started Playin' a second time, Jerry stood within a couple of feet of Bob and kept staring at him with this huge grin throughout the vocal section - amusing but also sad. The cracks were becoming so obvious.

I don't remember that , but through the mid 80's you get stuff like that . I do remember hearing a Morning Dew ( my first of 2 I saw, the other at this LB show ) that was a BIG letdown . A buddy at work, not the most sympathetic guy in the world, was visibly sorry that that was my only MD !There were some good things there, to be sure, but since I saw a great many of the "Junky Jerry" show there, It colors it for me . They did some fine shows at Long Beach , in the early 80's , and so good ones in the late 80's at LB . It just so happens , that in one of their weakest periods , they played Irvine more often .My mention of cringe moments, is more song choice than performance ( though that fits also )! . The predictability of the Dead's post drums sections, got to be a sore point with me . Didn't help that "Bob the happy cheese man," often came to fore here . If they manage to get through that post drums section ok, (even if predictable , say Other One>Wharf Rat> S. Mag ). I was(am) a happy

I just listened to the PITB , SBD & AUD ( 4'in ). That is not a shinning moment for Bob . His guitar is completely absent as are half the vocals . Brent has to pick him up and the synth wash isn't the best choice . At his nadir ( one of them? ) it's good to read that Garcia could recognize when something was not even close to just exactly perfect .

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not, but both - the AUD and the SBD - sources on the archive completely cut out this ugly 'stop the tune' train wreck that i referred to (it's on my old cassette, from the day). The archive sources also on Madison 2-15-73, cut out the entire section of the 'guitar solo' of Looks Like Rain when Jerry's amp craps out making some nasty sounds - too bad, because Keith stepped up to the occasion playing a truly sweet piano solo to fill the void. As an archive, I wish they would have left the recording intact - equipment failure warts, beautiful piano and all.